In a warm and rainy jungle, there was a deer that loved to jump. It bounded around the forest like a spring, and could jump higher than any other animal. Because it jumped so much, it grew thick, strong legs. Looking at those legs, the tiger in that jungle became very hungry. So, he made a plan to eat the deer.
The tiger normally hunted by waiting patiently in the darkness of the jungle, then pouncing when an animal came close. He tried this several times on the deer, but the deer was simply too fast. It bounded away each time unharmed.
Then, the tiger thought he might out-run the deer. Yes, it was faster than him, but if it ran long enough, perhaps he could tire out the deer and eat it. So, the next time, after pouncing and missing the deer, he gave pursuit. The tiger chased the deer for a good long while, but the deer was still too strong. Its powerful stride allowed it to continue far after the tiger had lost its breath.
Finally, the tiger enlisted the help of a lioness. He didn’t like to share his prey with another predator, but he thought the extra help might be useful. He told the lioness that he would chase the deer to a place where she could hide — then she should jump out and kill the deer. Although the lioness admired the strength of the deer, she agreed to the plan in order to feed her cubs.
So, the tiger stalked the deer again. Then, he leaped out and engaged in a rapid chase. When he reached the place the lioness was hiding, he roared out. That was the signal for the lioness to attack! The lioness jumped out from behind a rock, but she was too slow. The deer saw this and jumped even higher than the lioness. It leapt to safety on top of a ledge. As it left, its powerful legs dislodged a pile of rocks that fell onto the lioness, injuring her severely. The tiger cursed his luck and stalked away.
After a few moments, the deer came back. It had not meant to harm the lioness, and could see that the she was worried about what would happen to her cubs if she died. The deer went to her side and told her that it would raise her cubs as if they were its own. Although she died, much of the lioness’s anguish was relieved, knowing the deer would be a strong parent for her cubs.
From then on, the deer raised those cubs as if they were fawns. Soon, they were vegetarians, just like the deer. And, like the deer, they learned to leap extraordinarily well. For most of this time, the tiger had left the jungle for a nearby meadow where hunting was easier. But he hated to lose. So, he eventually came back to kill that deer once and for all.
When he entered the forest, he saw a group of powerful lions. Immediately, he thought they could be allies in his plot. Of course, these were the lions raised by the deer, but he did not know that, so he told them his entire plan. One of the lions thought to reject the plan and tell the tiger to leave. However, another thought better of it and agreed to the plan.
So, the tiger chased the deer one final time. They bounded through the forest, the deer ahead and just barely maintaining his lead. Finally, they reached the clearing where the lions waited. The tiger halted: finally his dream of eating that deer would come true. He smiled as the lions took off into the air. Then, he realized they had jumped over the deer. They landed on him and tore him to shreds, tricking him and saving the life of the deer.
The remaining lions and their deer parent pranced through the forest, joyously cavorting past dew covered leaves and tasty flowers for the rest of their lives.
Two Brothers Write 